A decade ago, the Jaguar F-Type returned a true sports car to the automaker’s showrooms 40 years after the last E-Type was built. And now, the final curtain is coming down on what will be Jaguar’s last internal-combustion sports car before the company switches to an all-EV lineup. When introduced, the F-Type won the World Car Design of the Year award. Performance covered a wide gamut, with a rip-roaring 575-horsepower supercharged V8 at the top. For the final year, that engine defines the F-Type R75 models and takes them into the sunset.
The Ferrari F430, unveiled at the 2004 Paris Motor Show, is described as the “evolution” of the F360 that preceded it, and debuted the E-Diff for the make. Today, 15 years later, it stands out amongst the three generations of mid-V8 models that it precedes.
Ferrari says the development goal for their 488 Pista was not simply to post astounding track performance stats, but to replicate the feel and “emotion” of driving a Ferrari 488 Challenge and championship-winning 488 GTE racecars.
Over a four year period, 7,085 were made, with most sold in the U.S. Many Tiger owners modified, raced and wrecked their cars, and so models left in stock or near-stock condition are relatively rare. Bonhams is offering such a car, a 1965 Tiger that remained in the hands of its original owner until 2014. The red Tiger has a pre-sale estimate of $90,000-$120,000 and will be offered without reserve.
If there’s going to be a sequel to the “new” Vacation movie from 2015, Porsche might have just the car for Rusty Griswold (Ed Helms), should he decide he needs something with a bit more panache than the Tartan Prancer SUV from Albania. The Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo that debuted at the Geneva Auto Show in March seems about perfect, though perhaps it might need some faux wood paneling added.
Most car enthusiasts see through the veil of the “concept car” label put on what they know to be lightly disguised pre-production models. It’s always appreciated when the intro comes with a dose of honesty, as the Mercedes-AMG GT Concept did when revealed at the Geneva Auto Show this past March.
The Continental R had the distinction of using a body not shared with a Rolls-Royce model. The basic idea for the big Bentley coupe had begun in 1985 with a concept model called Project 90. By then, Rolls had been steering Bentley back toward its performance roots with the Turbo sedan. A new coupe, based on that chassis, seemed the next logical step.
What Ferrari left out of the F40 made clear what kind of car it was. There was barely any sound insulation, and no radio. There weren’t even interior door handles; you reached into a recess in the door to pull a cable. Early cars had sliding Lexan side widows; later versions had hand-cranked roll-up windows.
The Aston Martin V8 models built from 1969-1989 are today responding to increased collector interest with –with rising values. Eventually, in high-performance Vantage form, they helped set the stage for the marque’s resurgence.
